Multiple drawer box



Feb. 4, 1964 v. SCOTTI.

MULTIPLE DRAWER BOX Filed NOV. 2, 1961 INVENTOR. VINCENT SCOTTI ATTORNEY United States Patent O Wee Y r V Patented'Feb. '4, 1964 1 1. 3 1% 413 transverse slots 26 extending inwardly from the rear edge. MULTIPHEDERAWER BOX Each slot 26 15 provided with a restricted portion 27 Vincent Scotti, 30 Dike St., Providence, RI. Filed, Nov. 2, 1961, Ser. No. 149,580 2 Claims. (Cl. 312--330) My present invention relates to a box construction and more particularly to a box supporting a plurality of drawers.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a box having a'plurality of compartments into which drawers can be slipped.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a multiple compartment box which can be readily assembled from cardboard stock.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a multiple compartment box in which the parts can be easily locked in assembled position.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a multiple compartment box which is simple in construction and easy and economical to manufacture and assemble.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view my invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosed in the detailed description following in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and more particularly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view partly broken away of a box embodying my invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the interlocking relation of the parts.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section of the vertical and horizontal wall portions.

The present invention is designed to provide a small box which is divided into a plurality of compartments so that a small drawer can be slidably mounted in each compartment. The box of the present invention is designed to be made of cardboard or any other stiff light material and the resultant box can be used by philatelists or for holding a variety of small parts. One of the features of the present invention is that the vertical and horizontal wall portions are interlocked without the use of adhesives or clips and then held in interlocking relation by sliding the assembly into a tight fitting housing.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the box of the present invention comprises an outer housing having a top, bottom, side walls, a rear wall, and an open front, as shown in FIG. 1. The housing 10 is divided into a plurality of compartments by vertical wall members 11 and by the horizontal wall members 12. The members 11 and 12 are held together by top and bottom members 13 and by side wall members 14 fitting tightly into the housing 111. For purposes of illustration the box has been shown divided into twelve compartments each holding a drawer 15 having a front pull knob 16.

Referring to FIG. 2, each vertical member 11 is provided with a plurality of spaced horizontal slots 17 extending inwardly from the front edge. Spaced from the front edge of the slot 17 is a restricted portion 18 formed by omitting the slot from this area and then merely cutting through the material. Spaced from the rear edge of the portion 11 and in alignment with the slot 17 is a small slot 1?. The upper and lower edges of the wall portions 11 are each formed with a cut out portion 20 adjacent the front edge, an elongated cut out portion 21 spaced from the portion 26 to leave an upraised portion 22 and a smaller cut out portion 23 spaced from the rear edge leaving an upraised portion 24 at the rear edge and an elongated upraised portion 25 between the cut out portions 21 and 23.

The horizontal dividers 12 are provided with spaced spaced from the rear edge and similar to the portion 18 .in the slot 17. Spaced from the front edge, a short slot 28 is positioned in axial alignment with the slot 26. At each end, the'portion 12 is provided with a short raised portion 29 spaced from the front edge, a short raised portion 30 at the rear edge, and an elongated raised portion 31 spaced from the portion 30.

The top and bottom members 13 are identical to the horizontal members 12 except that the restricted portions 27 in the members 12 are solid in the top and bottom. Each member 13 therefore is provided with spaced parallel slots 32 having a short solid portion spaced from the rear edge 33 of the slot, an elongated solid portion 34 spaced from the front edge, and a solid front edge, leaving a short slot portion 35. At each side edge, the portions 13 are provided with a short extended portion 36 spaced from the front edge, a short extended portion 37 at the rear edge, and an elongated extended portion 38 spaced from the portion 37.

The side members 14 are provided with spaced parallel slots, each slot comprising a short portion 39 extending from the rear edge, an elongated portion 40 spaced from the portion 39, and a short portion 41 spaced from the front edge. For economy, it is contemplated that all the portions may be stamped from cardboard or similar material and may be provided with a decorative edging 42 glued to the front edges of the various members.

The assembly of the vertical members 11 and horizontal members 12 is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. The member 12 is pushed into the front edge of the member 11 at the aligned slots until the front edge of the member 12 rests in the front end of the slot 17 and the restricted portion 18 of the slot 17 rests in the slot 28 (FIG. 2). The solid portions of the member 12, between the slots 26 and 28 rests in the slot 17 of the member 11. At the rear, the solid portion of the member 11 rests in the slot 26 with the restricted portion 27 entering the slot 19. This results in the interengagement and interlocking of the parts.

The outside portions 13 and 14 are mounted as shown in FIG. 1. The protruding edge members 29, 30 and 31 of the members 12 enter the slots 41, 39 and 40 respectively in the vertical end members 14. The protruding ends 22, 24 and 25 of the vertical members 11 enter slots 35, 33 and 32 respectively in the upper and lower members 13. The members 13 and 14 interengage at the corners at 36, 37 and 38 as shown in FIG. 1. The assembly is designed to fit tightly into the housing 10. Before sliding into the housing, some glue may be painted on the inner housing side walls to prevent removal. The pressure of the housing 1t! keeps the outer members 13 and 14 interengaged with each other and with the members 11 and 12. The drawers are of conventional design.

The entire construction is compact and light and easy and economical to manufacture and assemble. The parts are so interlocked that they cannot be separated once they are mounted in the housing 10. The interlocking portions are so constructed that a continuous strip of cardboard can be punched and then cut off to form the various members. Other advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A compartment container comprising a housing having a top, bottom, side walls, rear wall and an open front, a plurality of vertical and horizontal dividing members having interlocking slots, top and bottom and side wall members interlocking with the ends of said vertical and horizontal members to retain said members in position, said members fitting tightly into said housing, whereby said housing retains said members in interlocked position, said vertical and horizontal dividing members having restricted portions extending into their said slots, said restricted portion in each slot entering a slot in said interlocking member, said horizontal and vertical members forming a plurality of equal compartments, and a sliding drawer in each compartment.

2. A compartment container comprising a housing having a top, bottom, side walls, rear wall and an open front, a plurality of vertical and horizontal dividing members having interlocking slots, top and bottom and side wall members interlocking with the ends of said vertical and horizontal members to retain said members in position, said members fitting tightly into said housing, whereby said housing retains said members in interlocked position,

said vertical and horizontal dividing members having re stricted portions extending into their said slots, said restricted portion in each slot entering a slot in said interlocking member, said top, bottom and sides having interlocking edges, said horizontal and vertical members forming a plurality of equal compartments, and a sliding drawer in each compartment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 633,318 Horle Sept. 19, 1899 1,282,833 Holder Oct. 29, 1918 1,528,341 Navarro Mar. 3, 1925 2,486,743 Hatfner Nov. 1, 1949 

1. A COMPARTMENT CONTAINER COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING A TOP, BOTTOM, SIDE WALL, REAR WALL AND AN OPEN FRONT, A PLURALITY OF VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL DIVIDING MEMBERS HAVING INTERLOCKING SLOTS, TOP AND BOTTOM AND SIDE WALL MEMBERS INTERLOCKING WITH THE ENDS OF SAID VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL MEMBERS TO RETAIN SAID MEMBERS IN POSITION, SAID MEMBERS FITTING TIGHTLY INTO SAID HOUSING, WHEREBY SAID HOUSING RETAINS SAID MEMBERS IN INTERLOCKED POSITION, SAID VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL DIVIDING MEMBERS HAVING RESTRICTED PORTIONS EXTENDING INTO THEIR SAID SLOTS, SAID RESTRICTED PORTION IN EACH SLOT ENTERING A SLOT IN SAID INTERLOCKING MEMBER, SAID HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL MEMBERS FORMING A PLURALITY OF EQUAL COMPARTMENTS, AND A SLIDING DRAWER IN EACH COMPARTMENT. 